Plateau killings: Troops arrest 20 suspects

Troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) have arrested 20 suspects in connection with the killings in Tingbwa Gidan Ado community of Riyom Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau.

Maj.-Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, the Commander of OPSH, disclosed this at the Christmas luncheon organised for troops of OPSH and 3 Division of the Nigerian Army on Thursday in Jos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that gunmen on Dec. 22 attacked the community and killed 15 persons.

Abdulsalam, who is also the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division, said its troops had also recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition.

“Following hours of sustained night operations, we have apprehended 20 suspects directly and indirectly involved in the last attack on Tingbwa Gidan Ado village in Riyom LGA on Dec. 22.

“We have also recovered a cache of arms and ammunition, which has greatly starved criminal elements of the freedom of action to carry out their nefarious activities.

“Let the spirit of Christmas renew our commitment to the values we hold dear; let it inspire us to serve with even greater passion and determination,” he said.

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The commander thanked troops of OPSH and the 3rd Division for their sacrifices toward ensuring the peace currently being enjoyed in the state.

“On this special day, I acknowledge and applaud the sacrifices you have made; many of you are far away from home, unable to celebrate Christmas and the yuletide season with family and loved ones.

“While others enjoy the warmth of family and comfort of home, you endure the realities of duty.

“Your courage and resilience would never go unnoticed as they embody the highest form of sacrifice.

Five Gaza journalists die in Israeli strike

At least five journalists have been killed in an Israeli strike in the central Gaza Strip, Palestinian TV channel reports.

They were reportedly in a Quds Today van parked outside al-Awda hospital, where the wife of one of the journalists was about to give birth, in the central Nuseirat refugee camp.

The channel posted a video of what it said was the burning vehicle with “press” signage on the back doors.

The Israeli Air Force said it had attacked “in a targeted manner and with intelligence guidance” a vehicle with members of the armed group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) inside. It added that measures had been taken to minimise civilian casualties.

Quds Today is linked with the PIJ faction, which participated in Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The unprecedented attack set off the war in Gaza.

In a related development, five individuals were reported dead in Israeli strikes on Gaza City on Wednesday.

The Palestinian Wafa news agency and the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry also reported that 20 more people were hurt in the city’s al-Zeitoun neighbourhood.

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The Israeli military has not responded to the purported bombing.

Meanwhile, the father of a two-week-old Palestinian girl has informed the BBC that his infant daughter died from frostbite in a tent in Gaza, becoming the third kid in a week to die in similar conditions.

Mahmoud Ismail Al-Faseeh stated he awoke in the bitter cold to find his daughter, Sila, having convulsions.

The head of paediatrics at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis told the Associated Press that she was rushed to the hospital but died of hypothermia.

The family was taking refuge in the al-Mawasi neighbourhood on Gaza’s coast, which the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) classified as a humanitarian zone but has been targeted by air attacks.

According to Ahmed al-Farra, the head of paediatrics, two more newborns, one three days old and the other a month old, were brought in within the last 48 hours after dying from hypothermia.

Hopes of progress towards a truce in recent days have begun to fade, with Hamas and Israel trading blame at each other.

Hamas accused Israel of setting “new conditions” that were delaying the agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu iistated that the organisation was violating previously agreed-upon understandings over a potential truce.

Following encouraging signs, both parties’ most recent pronouncements reflect a significant shift in tone.

Following last year’s Hamas onslaught, the Israeli military started air strikes and a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.

The attack killed approximately 1,200 individuals, while another 251 were carried back to Gaza as hostages.

No fewer than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive, Gaza’s health ministry says. Almost two million people—90% of the population—have been displaced, according to the UN.

Five Gaza journalists die in Israeli strike

Bandit leader Bello Turji threatens reprisals over arrest of close associate

Notorious terrorism leader Bello Turji has issued threats to residents of surrounding communities following the recent arrests of suspects by the Nigerian military.

In a video released on Christmas Day, Turji claimed that the individuals apprehended were not bandits but “innocent” elderly members of his ancestral community.

The Nigerian military had earlier announced the capture of several of Turji’s associates during an operation. Major General Buba Edward, the Director of Media Operations at Defence Headquarters, disclosed on December 20 that those arrested included Bako Wurgi, Hamisu Sale (aka Master), and Abubakar Muhammad.

According to the military, Wurgi is suspected of being involved in the murder of a Sokoto monarch, among other heinous crimes.

Turji’s threats have raised concerns about potential reprisals against local communities, as security forces intensify efforts to dismantle his network.

“The arrested terrorist leader, Bako Wurgi, eventually succumbed to gunshot injuries sustained during the firefight. He, nevertheless, provided valuable intelligence to support troops’ operations before he died,” Mr Edward said.

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But five days after the statement, Mr Turji, surrounded in the video by armed men brandishing sophisticated arms, said the military did not capture the three suspects in a battle, but arrested them in market places and in the hospital.

Mr Turji also blamed residents of the areas for providing information to the military that led to the arrests, vowing to punish the communities for their actions.

“The message is for the residents of Zamfara and Sokoto States, specifically, residents of Shinkafi, to release our brothers who are with them; otherwise, the year 2025 is going to be deadly for them with frequent kidnapping for ransom,” he said.

“Edward Buba, look at the elderly people you arrested. They are above 75 years old. And look at me. I am 35 years old, and you said those people you arrested are my accomplices. Edward Buba, be mindful of what you are telling people. If you cannot go to the battlefield, go inside your room and rest and stop lying to the people,” Mr Turji said.

He also challenged the military to display the guns it claimed soldiers seized from the bandits at battle. “Display them to the people if you fought the battle with us,” he said.

“Our brothers whom you arrested were picked up at the markets and others in the hospital. We never fought any battle with you. If you actually want to fight us, not our parents, you know where we are. Come, let us fight.

“We are calling on the residents of Shinkafi, Isa, Zurmi, and its environs in this coming year, 2025 if you don’t address those informants responsible for the killing of our brothers, you will face the consequences. You know we are killers, we know how to kill. You people see us as uncivilised; we also see you as such.

“Any town that fails to obey our directives, we are going to turn it into rubble,” Mr Turji said, pointing at some dilapidated buildings close to him.

Bandit leader Bello Turji threatens reprisals over arrest of close associate

(PremiumTimes)